


Selfie

by Coraleeveritas



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Police, Established Relationship, F/M, Friday Fluff Fest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-27 00:01:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15012278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coraleeveritas/pseuds/Coraleeveritas
Summary: Brienne didn't know what had prompted her to take a selfie wrapped in the fluffy hotel robe, never mind take it and then send it to him, the man she should have interrogated and forgotten about long ago not continue to forge a romantic relationship with.





	Selfie

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure if Friday fluff fest is going to become a regular thing, but this is something I had lying around in my drafts folder that just needed tidying up a bit. This is also my 100th fic (!) and although I wanted that to be something a little bit more special, here we are.
> 
> Anything you recognise doesn't belong to me, although my mistakes are all mine.

Brienne didn't know what had prompted her to take a selfie wrapped in the fluffy hotel robe, never mind take it and then send it to him, the man she should have interrogated and forgotten about long ago not continue to forge a romantic relationship with. There was a proverb she vaguely remembered that said love could be blind, but Brienne didn't expect it to also mean she would take leave of most of her sensibilities, too. Though when she'd brought her concerns to his attention a few weeks back, barely half dressed in a hotel room, he had only laughed, replying that he loved to watch her wrestle with the moral dilemma of it all.

She'd been having a bad night, unable to pick up on the subtle clues of his more infamous persona, when they first met a year ago at The Policeman's Ball, the very same event she was now getting ready for. Which, she justified as she fiddled with the cheap fastening of the necklace he had sent her, was why Jaime might have been on her mind. The Duchess he'd been accompanying that night was closer to sixty than forty, but they had nevertheless made a strikingly beautiful couple and Brienne wasn't interested enough to really give it a second thought. It hadn't taken many years on the force to realise that their patrons were sometimes accompanied by less than savoury arm candy, money seeming able to buy anything. Although, it seemed, not the wandering interest of one Jaime Lannister.

It wasn't until much later, after he'd both complimented and critiqued her choice of outfit and they had spent the night bickering over the benefits of various types of military service vehicle, that she discovered the Duchess' townhouse had been broken into. All reports agreed that an upstairs window had been left open and the thief, a nondescript figure dressed all in black according to the only eye witness, had taken advantage. Everyone in town would have known about the ball, it even occasionally made the national news never mind the local channels, which meant deeper discussions about opportunity or means were forgotten. Brienne remained suspicious, it was hard for her to shake the feeling that something was off, but even going so far as investigating the dating agency Jaime's brother owned found nothing illegal enough to need further larceny conversations. She still regretted not bringing someone in, nevertheless.

Her phone pinged twice in quick succession as she sat in front of the mirror pondering her choices, Jaime's smiling face flashing up on the screen followed by a string of emojis she didn't completely understand. He liked to pretend that he was 'down with the kids' but Jaime's knowledge of technology seemed to be more related to the advancement of his careers, both the life his cordon bleu training had prepared him for and the stop gap she'd caught him in.

Her fingers flew over the touch screen, halfway through her reply when Jaime's own selfie arrived, one green eye above a stubbled jaw and the hint of a smile, backlit by the most gorgeous, blood red Dornish sunset she'd ever seen. He'd only been away for a few days, at the request of his daughter who was getting married that weekend, but Brienne was already missing his presence. She missed the mornings she would wake up in his arms and he'd want to stay with her long enough to make breakfast. The sex was one thing, and it was truly mind blowing at times, but she'd come to look forward to the quiet, tender, loving moments they spent together, his presence helping soothe her soul after she'd witnessed some of the very worst human behaviour possible following up on her cases.

Knowing it was selfish, Brienne couldn't help thinking that without Jaime's ex-employee deliberately damaging the hand that had brought him local culinary fame, she never would have met him. She hadn't made any time for personal attachments or anything more than nutritionally satisfying meals before Jaime. 

It wasn't as if she really wanted to dwell on the deficiencies of her early adulthood but her mind kept circling back to them, finding it easier than having to process the unusual patterns of behaviour she'd recently noticed in the actions of the Lannister family. Or at least the ones she'd been introduced to who were over the legal drinking age. While Jaime himself was starting to find his confidence again in cooking and writing recipes, his brother and cousins seemed to be always involved in elaborate schemes that set her detective senses tingling.

It wasn't fair, she decided, watching another selfie pop up in front of her, this time Jaime had paired his expensive sunglasses with hideously patterned shorts and nothing else, that duty and love had collided this week of all weeks. His daughter had actually wanted to meet her, the woman who'd finally turned his head after his volatile marriage had fallen apart nearly a decade ago, but Brienne couldn't in good consciousness miss her young partner being awarded his valour in the face of extreme danger commendation. Podrick didn't have much of a family apart from the group who kept an eye on him at the station. She understood all too well what it was like to be alone.

_You've seen me so what are you wearing?_

_Tonight?_ Brienne fired back with a frown, her dress for the ball having been hanging on the back of her closet door long enough now for Jaime to become intimately acquainted with it, should he have wished. _You know what I managed to borrow._

_I haven't seen you in it._

She could almost hear his voice purring at her, asking for ten more minutes in bed before she absolutely had to start getting ready for work. His powers of persuasion needed no help, leaving her with little doubt that he'd easily found a way to talk himself out of repeating the favour that had found him on the arm of the Duchess the night they'd met. Brienne didn't really want to delve into that particular subject any deeper, trusting he would tell her anything especially important like he'd already done with the Targaryen incident.

_Something borrowed, something blue. Isn't that how it goes?_

_If you were getting married, yes._ Brienne immediately regretted hitting send without thinking how those half dozen words could be interpreted, in the process of putting together a jumbled explanation when his request for video chat interrupted her furious typing.

"Is there something you maybe wanted to ask me?" Jaime enquired, bleary eyed and beaming and suddenly fully dressed, the festivities clearly having kept him up until well into the previous night.

Though, despite his obvious lack of sleep, there wouldn't be a line or strand of grey hair that could make Brienne love him any less. He'd had trouble accepting that, the significant age difference a bigger concern at the beginning than it was now, much as she'd needed time to accept his affections weren't all in jest.

"Brienne? Brienne?" he prompted softly as the silence between them threatened coming awkwardness. "Can you still hear me? The signal in here is shoddy at best."

"You're staying in a five star luxury resort and they don't even have decent wi-fi?" she blinked incredulously at the small screen. "I knew there's some sort of family feud going on but-"

"It doesn't quite stretch to the private beaches, sweetling." He smiled again, watching her eyes roll at the excessiveness of the event. "Are you still so sure about your decision to stay home? You know the first flight to Sunspear tomorrow morning would probably get you here for the ceremony. Definitely for the after party."

Brienne nodded, unsure as to which question or statement she was agreeing to. With so many Lannisters and Martells in attendance, the latter rumoured to be involved with their own shady dealings though there was never anything concrete to mean the businesses could lead back to the extended family, it wasn't as if she'd be able to relax for very long. But there'd be room service and cocktails and Jaime. She wouldn't even have to leave the suite if she didn't want to on Sunday.

"It's a tempting offer, Jaime, but you know I'm needed here."

"I need you more." Jaime pouted, only half joking despite his green eyes sparking with amusement. "Would you believe Tyrion brought the same date he had at New Year? We're trying to work out if it's a mix up at the agency or if he's really serious about Shae."

"And you think I would want to help with that on my vacation?"

"Maybe, maybe not. If this all turns to shit we can always go somewhere better next month. I hear Yi Ti is lovely this time of the year."

"I know Yi Ti is lovely at any time of the year, Jaime."

"There you go! You know, I've been telling everyone you're one of the greatest detectives this city has seen, so you might not be able to stop yourself investigating," he grinned again. "Someone should give you your own book series. You've already got the plucky sidekick, arty best friend and gorgeous rogue of a boyfriend. It'd be perfect."

"Boyfriend?" Brienne repeated slowly, the word feeling strange on her tongue as she watched Jaime's smile freeze in place. Though she'd thought of him in similar terms before, she had never dared to say it out loud in case it broke the happy spell they were still living under. He knew she loved him and didn't want anybody else, and vice versa, and that had been more than enough for them both. "No, that wouldn't work for the story, you'd have to be a consultant of some kind. There needs to be a will they, won't they thing going on for it to hit all the right cliches."

"Got it. Consultant," he nodded, momentarily focusing on something just out of sight that was more important than her hypothetical, pending series, the sunset behind him becoming a long, grey corridor that seemed out of place at a beach resort. "But we already _have_ in real life so..."

"So...you're my...boyfriend?"

"For as long as you'll have me," he confirmed with another smile that swirled in her stomach and weakened her knees, Jaime stepping so suddenly from monochrome backdrop to blinding light that it left her blinking in surprise.

"And since we agree on that," he continued, "I was wondering if you might have also thought about maybe moving in together?"

She had. More than once or twice such a thought had demanded her attention like a thunderbolt of realisation. It would have to be some place new, she knew, her own apartment was too small for more than one person on a long term basis, and Jaime had changed rental properties at least three times since she met him, unable to settle though each time it meant he moved a little closer to where she'd decided to call home. In hindsight, she should have seen what was happening but there had always been a perfectly good explanation as to why he'd had to move; an unworkable kitchen, bad neighbours, construction on new housing taking away his perfect view.

"We can talk about it when you get back."

"That's not a no," he insisted, the lights behind him finally dimming to curiously reveal a room that looked almost familiar to Brienne.

"That's not a no," she promised, humouring herself just as much as him. "You must really be getting sick of living out of suitcases if you're wanting to-"

"I love you," he interrupted with a shrug, like he couldn't think of anything that mattered more. "And squeezing in two date nights a week when you're working fifty, sixty hours means we don't ever get to see enough of each other. Besides, who else is going to be willing to taste my new creations at all hours of the night?"

She laughed. "We really have to get you back into a commercial kitchen if you're relying on my taste buds."

"Second opinions matter, love. And, don't put yourself down, you've got an fantastic tongue."

Fighting back the blush that was already colouring her cheeks, Brienne quickly glanced around her room before returning to stare at Jaime who was still moving forward. "Where exactly are you going?"

"It's a surprise," he promised, the unmistakable sound of elevator doors closing becoming a muffled bang through her phone speakers. From what she could see, and it was really only what was reflected in the gilded mirror behind Jaime, upmarket hotels all appeared to be built to the same specification.

"For you or me? I'm not sure what-" she paused mid sentence, frowning at the sharp knock coming from the door.

"Did you order room service?" Jaime teased. "And on the department's dime as well? You're usually so frugal with expenses."

"I'd to see you spend twelve hours on your feet without eating more than a couple of stale biscuits," she grumbled in reply. "I only ordered a burger so I wouldn't be toasting on an empty stomach. Though it wasn't supposed to be ready yet."

"And fries. And a gigantic side salad."

"Wait..." she glanced from her phone to the door and back again. "How do you know that?"

"Open the door, Brienne."

"What did you do, Jaime?" she whispered to herself as she fiddled with the lock, hearing the door creak as she pulled it open to catch her boyfriend stuffing fries into his mouth, an overnight bag by his feet. "Should I have ordered two?"

"Only if you're planning on not sharing."

Her stomach growled in complaint when he tasted primarily of salt and potato, but there was nothing in the universe that would have stopped Brienne from kissing Jaime breathless as he threw his arms around her so enthusiastically that it made her feel they'd been parted for years rather than hours.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you," she said, taking a half step back to put some distance between her duty and the overwhelming desire to stay entangled in his embrace. "But why are you here?"

"I've come with your wedding invite and special orders to bring you back with me," he explained, raising a hand when she tried to protest. "Apparently Cella and Trys have been trying for months to persuade the resort to let them change their ceremony to sunset but, after what I suspect was some serious money changing hands, it's all been agreed. So, you can show me off to all my cousins _and_ your work colleagues now."

"Jaime, I can't-"

His smile dropped from his face like a proverbial lead balloon. "You still do want to come, don't you?"

"-believe that I'm finally going to meet your daughter." Brienne knew she could dredge up enough banal pleasantries to deal with the rest of the family and focus on her genuine happiness for the girl she'd seen grow from toddler to teenager and beyond all over the walls of Jaime's apartment. She'd just have to leave her figurative detective's hat at home.

"One day I'm going to learn not to interrupt," he quietly chastised himself, shaking his head before fiercely taking her lips again. "I promise they're going to love you almost as much as I do. And if they don't I'll...I'll streak through the reception naked."

"I might hold you to that," she replied, allowing Jaime to guide her, step by step and kiss by kiss, towards the bed. "The ceremony doesn't start for another hour if you want some time to shower your journey off."

"If I'm showering, I want you in there with me."

"Oh," Brienne paused as Jaime pressed closer, the sizeable situation below his belt becoming obvious. "Are you sure? It's not like the one at-"

"Let me show you how sure I am."

She ended up having to order another burger after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Here's to another 100 fics!


End file.
